November 13, 2026
Komatsu Ltd. (President and CEO: Takuya Imayoshi) and TIER IV, Inc. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shinpei Kato; hereafter “TIER IV”) have begun joint development of autonomous driving systems for three dump truck models, with the aim of bringing autonomous driving technology into practical use at quarry and construction sites in Japan and North America. Komatsu, TIER IV and EARTHBRAIN Ltd. (President and CEO: Akinori Onodera; hereafter “EARTHBRAIN”), a Komatsu subsidiary, began collaborating in September 2025 toward the practical use of autonomous technology for construction equipment. Through this joint development, the companies will accelerate their collaboration toward deployment in Japan and North America in 2027.
[HD785 autonomous driving dump truck operating at Komatsu test site]
Komatsu and TIER IV will jointly develop and verify autonomous driving systems for three dump truck models used at quarry and construction sites: the rigid dump trucks HD785 (maximum payload: 93.9 metric tons) and HD605 (maximum payload: 64.1 metric tons), and the articulated dump truck HM400/460 (maximum payload: 42 metric tons). The companies will combine Komatsu’s vehicle engineering, system integration and vehicle control technologies with TIER IV’s autonomous driving technology to develop autonomous driving systems capable of supporting loading, hauling and dumping use cases in actual jobsite operations.
In addition, through integration of the fleet management system developed by EARTHBRAIN with this system, the companies will advance the practical application of automation solutions that go beyond autonomous operation of individual vehicles to cover jobsite-wide fleet management.
Komatsu, TIER IV and EARTHBRAIN will accumulate operational expertise through verification testing and jobsite deployment, aiming to realize automation solutions that customers can easily adopt and use on an ongoing basis. By improving labor efficiency and enabling safe and efficient vehicle operations, the companies will contribute to enhancing jobsite safety and productivity.
(Reference)
TIER IV, Komatsu and EARTHBRAIN begin collaboration toward practical use of autonomous technology for construction equipment
TIER IV：TIER IV, Inc.
EARTHBRAIN: EARTHBRAIN Ltd.
No : 0085(3498)
